Woman sentenced in baby's death

Most of 10 year term will be suspended

January 18, 2012|By Tricia Bishop, The Baltimore Sun

Gale Terera Roland, a Baltimore woman who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2010 shaking death of 10-month-old Micha Crane, was sentenced to 10 years in prison last week, with all but two years of the term suspended.

Roland, 53, is to serve her time on home detention, according to the infant's mother, Danielle Crane, who said she was disappointed by the sentence.

"I'm very frustrated," Crane said. "I think that the court system had no regards for my child's human life."

Mark Cheshire, a spokesman for the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office, called Micha's death "a terrible tragedy and an enormous loss." He said prosecutors opposed home detention, a defense request, but that the judge ordered it, anyway.

Roland was also ordered to serve five years probation, and could be forced to serve the remainder of her 10-year-term, the maximum for manslaughter, if she violates conditions.